Gator by the Bay San Diego in 2026

The music lineup for 2026 is nothing short of exceptional. Last year I had the privilege of seeing Kimmi Bitter and Ozomatli, who I absolutely loved. While Ozomati won't be there this year, I am hoping to catch Kimmi Bitter again!

While these two were fantastic, the 2026 event is scheduled to have 100+ performances, so there really will be something for everyone!

Music Performers at Gator by the Bay

2026 Performer Lineup

The 2026 festival will include renowned names in the blues and zydeco music scenes, from Louisiana natives to globally-beloved acts, all performing across four musical stages.

There will also be rock, country, swamp pop, jazz, R&B, bluegrass, western swing, boogie, salsa, and rockabilly performers. There will actually be a total of seven stages to host a wide variety of performers!

Watching Musicians at the Bayou Grove Stage at Gator by the Bay

Thursday Performance Highlights

The kick-off party on Thursday, May 7th, 2026 will feature Wilson Savoy of the Pine Leaf Boys. And remember, in 2026, you can attend for FREE from 5:00pm - 9:00pm at the nearby Sheraton Lanai Lawn.

Lots of Performers at Gator by the Bay

Friday Performance Highlights

On Friday, May 8th, the Festival Stage schedule, which is typically considered the main stage, is shaping up like this:

• 4:30pm - Zzymzzy Quintet
• 5:50pm - Zydeco Mudbugs
• 7:20pm - Chubby Carrier and the Bayou Swamp Band
• 8:50pm - Pine Leaf Boys

More Friday Performances

Here's a look at the rest of the Friday performances:

• 4:30pm - Bonneville 7 with Rip Carson - Bourbon Street Stage
• 4:30pm - Honey Bees – Bayou Grove Stage
• 4:30pm - TK & The Deadlist – Mardi Gras Stage
• 5:40pm - The Beard & The Bird – Bayou Grove Stage
• 5:40pm - Lady Dottie & The Diamonds- Bourbon Street Stage
• 6:00pm - The Prairie Moons – Mardi Gras Stage
• 7:00pm - Bill Magee - Bayou Grove Stage
• 7:10pm - The Farm Truck - Bourbon Street Stage
• 7:30pm - Mitch Polzak- Mardi Gras Stage
• 8:20pm - The Chris Fast Band - Bayou Grove Stage
• 8:50pm - Casey Hensley with Anthony Cullins – Bourbon Street Stage
• 9:00pm - Box Girl and the Beatniks – Bourbon Street Food Court

Bourbon Street Stage at Gator by the Bay

Saturday Performance Highlights

Saturday and Sunday, May 9th and 10th, are the festival's biggest days with artists set to perform on all four festival stages starting at 11:00am.

My personal favorites I'm looking forward to seeing perform on Saturday will be Taco Gumbo, Salty Papa, and Kimmi Bitter. On Sunday, I'm excited to see The Bayou Brothers and The Amazing Wildcats.

Here's a look at who you can see on the Festival Stage on Saturday:

• 11:30am – Taco Gumbo
• 12:40pm – Zydeco Mudbugs
• 2:10pm – Okie Weiss and the Zydeco Playboys
• 3:40pm – Chubby Carrier and the Bayou Swamp Band
• 5:20pm – Geno Delafose and the French Rockin' Boogie
• 7:10pm – Pine Leaf Boys
• 8:50pm – Chubby Carrier hosts the Louisiana All Star Spectacular

More Saturday Performances

Here's a look at the rest of Saturday's musical performances:

• TBA - Box Girl and the Beatniks – Bourbon Street Food Court
• 11:00am - The Bayou Brothers – Bon Temps Dance Pavillion
• 11:00am - The Red Hatter Paper Hats – Lil Gator Kidz Zone
• 11:30am - Crown Point Jr. Music Academy – Mardi Gras Stage
• 11:30am - Cosmic Amigo – Bayou Grove Stage
• 11:30am - Blame Betty – Bourbon Street Stage
• 12:30pm - Buzz Campbell – Mardi Gras Stage
• 12:40pm - Robin Henkel – Bayou Grove Stage
• 12:40pm - Billy Lee and the Gulf Coasters – Bourbon Street Stage
• 1:50pm - Geno Delafose with Herman Fuselier – Bayou Grove Stage
• 2:00pm - Mercedes Moore – Bourbon Street Stage
• 2:00pm - Ash Easton – Mardi Gras Stage
• 3:10pm - Chunky Hustle Brass Band – Bayou Grove Stage
• 3:20pm - Ass Pocket Whiskey Fellas - Bourbon Street Stage
• 3:30pm - John Nemeth & Johnny Vernazza – Mardi Gras Stage
• 4:40pm - Salty Papa – Bourbon Street Stage
• 5:00pm - Sue Palmer & Her Motel Swing Band – Mardi Gras Stage
• 5:50pm - Gregory Page- Bayou Grove Stage
• 6:00pm - The 44's with Kid Ramos – Bourbon Street Stage
• 6:50pm - Jon Cleary and the Absolute Monster Gentlemen – Mardi Gras Stage
• 7:10pm - Kimmi Bitter - Bayou Grove Stage
• 7:30pm - Fuzzy Rankins – Bourbon Street Stage
• 8:30pm - The Gypsy Swing Cats – Bayou Grove Stage
• 8:40pm - Dumpstaphunk – Mardi Gras Stage
• 8:50pm - The Sleepwalkers – Bourbon Street Stage

All Kinds of Music at Gator by the Bay

Sunday Performance Highlights

To wrap up the weekend, you won't want to miss these featured Sunday performers on the Festival Stage:

• 11:30am – Taco Gumbo
• 12:40pm – Okie Weiss and the Zydeco Players
• 2:20pm – Chubby Carrier and the Bayou Swamp Band
• 3:50pm – Pine Leaf Boys
• 5:40pm – Geno Delafose and French Rockin' Boogie

More Sunday Performances

On Sunday, you can also catch:

• TBA - Box Girl and the Beatniks – Bourbon Street Food Court
• 11:00am - Bobby Sanchez Combo- Bon Temps Dance Pavilion
• 11:30am - Johnny High-Hat – Mardi Gras Stage
• 11:30am - Harmonica John – Bayou Grove Stage
• 11:30am - The Hep-Tights – Bourbon Street Stage
• 12:30pm - Whitney Shay with Laura Chavez - Mardi Gras Stage
• 12:40pm - The Bayou Brothers – Bourbon Street Stage
• 12:40pm - Wilson Savoy of the Pine Leaf Boys with Herman Fuselier – Bayou Grove Stage
• 1:50pm - Kirk Fletcher & Erika Baier- Bourbon Street Stage
• 2:00pm - Manny Cepeda Orchestra – Mardi Gas Stage
• 3:00pm - Billy Watson Band featuring Nathan James – Bayou Grove Stage
• 3:10pm - Euphoria Brass Band – Bourbon Street Stage
• 3:50pm - Rick Estrin and the Nightcats - Mardi Gras Stage
• 4:20pm - Chubby Carrier with Herman Fuselier – Bayou Grove Stage
• 4:30pm - The Farmers - Bourbon Street Stage
• 5:40pm - The Amazing Wildcats – Mardi Gras Stage
• 5:50pm - Vince Lee and Sophie Lord – Bayou Grove Stage
• 6:00pm - Zavala Sol – Bourbon Street Stage

I love live music so for me that is the main draw to the festival. But I also absolutely love the flavors of creole cuisine. Gator by the Bay 2026 will feature cooking demos, hands-on classes, top-notch food vendors, and 10,000 pounds of live, fresh crawfish direct from the bayou.

The festival will also feature dancing, a vendor market, Kidz Zone and more!

Cajun Food at Gator by the Bay

Food Vendors

Top-notch food vendors will be offering classic New Orleans fare at the Bourbon Street Food Court like Louisiana-raised crawfish bakes and beignets. My must-try favorites will include jambalaya, gumbo, po'boys, and bread pudding.

Crawfish at Gator by the Bay

The Taste of Louisiana Cooking Pavilion

In addition to the stages for the musical performances, 2026 will also feature a pavilion dedicated entirely to cooking demonstrations!

The Taste of Louisiana Cooking Pavilion will offer hands-on experiences with top chefs all day on both Saturday and Sunday

Dancing at Gator by the Bay

Lil Gator Kidz Zone

When I attended Gator by the Bay in 2025, I knew it was a family-friendly event. What I didn't realize was just how much attention the organizers would put into the Kidz Zone.

The 2026 event will feature nonstop fun for your kids on Saturday and Sunday from 12:00pm until 5:00pm. The Lil Gator Kids Zone will feature a parade, giant bubbles, live performances, games, and face painting. Your kids can also look forward to a magic show, balloon animals, dancing, a puppet show, Carrot the Clown, Stilt Walker Piper and more! It's fair to say that your kids won't want to leave!

I personally think the Mardi Gras Parade set for 1:30pm on Saturday will be the highlight! Check the event schedule for the complete hour-by-hour schedule of activities and times so your kids don't miss a thing!

Music and Dancing at the Bourbon Street Stage at Gator by the Bay

Dancing

Do you like to dance? The festival dance floor at the Bon Temps Social Club Dance Pavilion will be a comfortable, no pressure location offering plenty of room to find your rhythm.

And if you'd like to learn a new step or two, skilled instructors will be offering free dance lessons with styles ranging from classic to high energy. Know too that Friday will be Western Swing Night so if that sounds like something you'd enjoy, plan accordingly.

Honestly though, with so many stages, you're free to get up and dance throughout the festival!

Mardi Gras Stage at Gator by the Bay

The Mardi Gras Market

If shopping is your thing, you'll want to check out the market area where you'll be treated to the wares of dozens of vendors.

You can expect to find Mardi Gras-themed clothing, jewelry and art plus artist's CDs, handmade goods, official event merchandise, gourmet treats, and even musical instruments. You might even be able to find something special for Mother's Day!